Dust regulations gone with the wind

October 18, 2011

The EPA will not be regulating dust control on farms. I repeat, the EPA WILL NOT be regulating dust control on farms.

In a release yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency revealed that controlling dust particles from farm related activity will not be included in their upcoming five-year review. EPA officials hope that this will finally put the myth of dust regulation to bed.

“In progressing this work, some have raised the common myth that we are planning to tighten standards of dust from farms. EPA has repeatedly said that it has no plans to tighten this regulation,” EPA said in a statement. “EPA hopes that this action finally puts an end to the myth that the agency is planning to tighten this regulation which has been place since 1987.”

Serious concerns from numerous ag groups and politicians have been raised over the past several months about possible regulation and rightfully so. The production of dust particles is simply a part of farming and ranching that isn’t going anywhere, so the idea of it being regulated is alarming. But this release brings both clarity and comfort to our nation’s farm families allowing them focus on the tasks ahead instead of what’s being left behind.